And now for another outstanding interrogatory by that cinematic imp, Dennis Cozzalio, up since June 1st at Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule. Visit his site to post your answers. My answers appear after the jump.
1) Depending on your mood, your favorite or least-loved movie cliché
I hate when the villain and hero have their final confrontation and the villain reminds him, "I made you! Without me, you wouldn't be the man you are today. If you hate me, it's simply because you hate that part of you that IS me..." Blah... Blah... BLAH!
2) Regardless of whether or not you eventually caught up with it, which film classic have you lied about seeing in the past?
Never done that. I'm not afraid to admit my blind spots.
3) Roland Young or Edward Everett Horton?
Pass
4) Second favorite Frank Tashlin movie
Pass
5) Clockwork Orange-- yes or no?
Yes. Can't wait to get the new Blu-ray.
6) Best/favorite use of gender dysphoria in a horror film (Ariel Schudson)
I'd give it to Psycho if that weren't more of a mother-son thing. So I'll go with Brian De Palma's Dressed to Kill.
7) Melanie Laurent or Blake Lively?
Laurent's beauty transcends the merely physical. Lively's does not.
8) Best movie of 2011 (so far…)
HBO's Mildred Pierce.
9) Favorite screen performer with a noticeable facial deformity (Peg Aloi)
Stacy Keach, who was born with a cleft palate and still has a noticeable scar.
10) Lars von Trier: shithead or misunderstood comic savant? (Dean Treadway)
This is a leading question.
11) Timothy Carey or Henry Silva?
Carey, superb in The Killing, Paths of Glory, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and Head.
12) Low-profile writer who deserves more attention from critics and /or audiences
Well, she wasn't always low-profile, but someone who definitely deserves attention is Leigh Brackett. Any woman who can deliver the scripts for such male-oriented classics as The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, The Long Goodbye and The Empire Strikes Back is worth looking into.
13) Movie most recently viewed theatrically, and on DVD, Blu-ray or streaming
Theatrically: Super 8, DVD: Park Row, Blu-ray: The Big Country, Streaming: The Steel Helmet
14) Favorite film noir villain
Hank Quinlan (Orson Welles) in Touch of Evil.
15) Best thing about streaming movies?
My favorite thing about it is occasionally finding movies that aren't available on DVD, like Nicholas Ray's Cagney western, Run for Cover.
16) Fay Spain or France Nuyen? (Peter Nellhaus)
France Nuyen.
17) Favorite Kirk Douglas movie that isn’t called Spartacus (Peter Nellhaus)
Lust for Life
18) Favorite movie about cars
Fast Company
19) Audrey Totter or Marie Windsor?
Marie Windsor
20) Existing Stephen King movie adaptation that could use an remake/reboot/overhaul
How about updating Misery to feature a world-famous Salinger-esque writer whose captivity by a deranged fan isn't noticed because he was a reclusive online author to begin with.
21) Low-profile director who deserves more attention from critics and/or audiences
Philip Kaufman. With the exception of his last film, Twisted, I've found him to be a remarkably consistent if not prolific director.
22) What actor that you previously enjoyed has become distracting or a self-parody? (Adam Ross)
It almost seems like another stage in an aging actor's life based on the amount of actors I could name. Pacino and De Niro have begun to rehabilitate their careers somewhat. Nicholson can turn it on or off. Someone mentioned Rourke, but he's always been inconsistent. I'll go with Christian Bale for his showboating in The Fighter.
23) Best place in the world to see a movie
The Ziegfeld Theatre in Manhattan reminds me most of the movie palaces which were more prevalent when I was a boy. Same goes for the Fox Theater in Atlanta and the Gusman Cultural Center, née Olympia Theater, in Miami.
24) Charles McGraw or Sterling Hayden?
Since Sterling Hayden is my all-time favorite actor, I'll pick him.
25) Second favorite Yasujiro Ozu film
Pass
26) Most memorable horror movie father figure
Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
27) Name a non-action-oriented movie that would be fun to see in Sensurround
Days of Heaven
28) Chris Evans or Ryan Reynolds?
Chris Evans has always seemed to be trapped in smirky roles rather than limited by a smug persona. I'm hoping Captain America proves that to be the case.
29) Favorite relatively unknown supporting player, from either or both the classic and the modern era
Julio Oscar Mechoso from Bad Boys and Ken Park. Maybe because he's a Miami Cuban like me, but he always feels genuine and I'd think he'd be great as a film noir antihero given the chance.
30) Real-life movie location you most recently visited or saw
Griffith Park Observatory from Rebel Without a Cause.
31) Second favorite Budd Boetticher movie
Pass
32) Mara Corday or Julie Adams?
Julie Adams
33) Favorite Universal-International western
Pass
34) What's the biggest "gimmick" that's drawn you out to see a movie? (Sal Gomez)
Those free admission tickets for a new release that are usually included in DVDs or Blu-rays I purchase.
35) Favorite actress of the silent era
Lillian Gish
36) Best Eugene Pallette performance (Larry Aydlette)
I've only seen him in a couple of films, so pass.
37) Best/worst remake of the 21st century so far? (Dan Aloi)
Best: Casino Royale; Worst: Swept Away
38) What could multiplex owners do right now to improve the theatrical viewing experience for moviegoers? What could moviegoers do?
Both could demand "added value" features like short movies, cartoons, newsreels, etc., instead of running ads. Make movies feel like events again. Works for Pixar films.
Excellent picks on #20, #21 and especially #26, Tony. Thanks for all of these, and for the link back. One of the reasons why I love these quizzes is because, for those who choose to take some time on them, they function like interview questions instead of simple yes or nos- even the ones that are simple yes or nos usually get deeper responses than that. And then we often get treated to pictures like the one you used for #7, which I'm now stealing and forwarding to a couple of people I know who will wonder, after they've opened the e-mail, how they ever lived without it!
ReplyDeleteGood answers, but why so many passes?
ReplyDeleteDennis, I kid you not, after you fell in love with my picture of Caroline Munro a couple of quizzes back, I've taken it as a personal challenge to always find at least one little-seen pic of some gorgeous actress we mutually admire in your exams.
ReplyDeleteDean, I'm usually able to answer most of these fairly well. But this one was hard! If I passed, it was because I was legitimately out of my depth in said case.
I forgot all about Madonna's (direction by her former husband) Swept Away! I write that off as more of the mind protecting itself ;-). And the Griffith Park Observatory is one of my favorite places (it served wonderfully as a backdrop for Devil in a Blue Dress, too). I see we share equal appreciation for the fine France Nuyen. Enjoyable read, Tony.
ReplyDeleteMelanie Laurent all the way!!!
ReplyDeletele0pard13 and thevoid99, thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDelete